Caffeine & Chianti

roaster feature series ☕

I am beyond excited to announce my first roaster feature: Autumn Coffee Roasting! This is the start of a brand-new series on the blog where I’ll be highlighting local coffee roasters, diving into their roasting philosophies, the coffees they serve, and the overall experience they create in their cafes. 

Over the past few months, I’ve slowly been diving deeper into the world of specialty coffee and roasting, trying better understand the drink I love most. For the longest time, I would simply order my oatmilk latte and enjoy it without thinking much about everything that went into it. But coffee is such a massive process–from fruit growing on trees across the world to the latte that ends up in your cup–and I’ve realized how fascinating it is to learn about the people and the craftsmanship behind it all.

Through this series, I’m looking forward to highlighting local roasters both in Portland and during my travels, sharing more about the coffee community and the different approaches roasters take to their craft. These will be shorter features focused on the businesses themselves, along with Q&As and insights I learn along the way.

Let’s get into it!

Autumn Coffee Roasting: About

Autumn Coffee Roasting has been roasting and serving coffee in Portland for about 9 years. They have two cafe locations in the Concordia and Gresham neighborhoods, with a separate roastery in North Portland. They also have a mobile truck for serving coffee at the Gresham farmer’s market in the summer.

I frequent the cafe in Concordia on Killingsworth and 33rd, and this is a true neighborhood cafe. The owner, Andrew, works behind the bar most days and seems to know nearly everyone who walks through the door. I ordered an oatmilk latte with their seasonal raspberry syrup the first time I visited, and it was incredibly smooth with just the right amount of sweetness.

The cafe itself is beautifully designed, featuring a spacious coffee bar, minimal decor, and lots of natural lighting. The space feels modern but with a slightly moody, almost gothic atmosphere. Local artwork hangs throughout the cafe and is available for purchase, adding warmth and personality to the space. Every time I’ve visited, it’s felt calm and welcoming: the perfect place to work for awhile or catch up with a friend.

What stood out to me most, though, was the hospitality. Andrew genuinely made an effort to chat with me and make me feel welcome, even on my first visit. A lot of cafés can feel transactional—you grab your latte and head out—but Autumn feels much more community-oriented. That extra level of warmth and conversation leaves a lasting impression, and it definitely did for me.

I also had the opportunity to spend time with Andrew learning more about coffee roasting, sourcing, and cupping. You can read more about what I learned in my post Coffee: From Plant to Latte here. I’m really excited to continue sharing more about coffee, roasting, and the incredible people behind Portland’s specialty coffee scene.

Q&A

tell me about the main coffees you offer and where they are sourced from?

“We typically have anywhere from 4-8 coffees on rotation at a time. Right now, we’re running two blends, a single-origin, and a decaf, but depending on what’s coming in, we’ll expand our single-origin offerings.

As for sourcing, we buy coffee from all over the world, but I have a preference for higher-elevation coffees and origins leaning toward East Africa and Columbia.

Our two main blends are:

Reaper–half Columbian and half Guatemalan, both are single-origin from individual farms. I’ve been buying the same two coffees for a long time.

Aequus–also half Columbian and half Guatemalan, but sourced from community lots, where multiple farmers pool their coffees together.”

how would you describe your roasting style and philosophy?

“My philosophy around roasting is pretty simple: let the coffee speak.

We typically run several sample batches based on what we know about the coffee–elevation, density, moisture content, water activity, age, and so on. Then we cup those samples and determine which roast best represents what the coffee has to offer.

Some coffees are delicate coffee and need their hand held through the process, while others are incredibly forgiving. Ultimately, the coffee tells you what it wants to be if you are willing to listen.”

how do you choose the farms or importers you work with? what do you look for when sourcing?

“We receive samples from importers, then go through cupping and quality checks. Once we find coffees we really connect with, we start building relationships with those importers.

We work closely with our importing partners to ensure farmers are fairly compensated and that the coffee is handled properly throughout farming, processing, and shipping. These relationships are built over years and require trust on all sides—that we’ll continue buying, that they’ll continue producing coffees that align with our standards, and everything in between.

Obviously, we’re always searching for great coffees, but the relationships themselves play a huge role in our sourcing decisions. It really is built on trust.

Coffee has a long chain behind it: café, roaster, importer, mill/exporter, sometimes brokers, and then the farm itself. There’s a lot happening before coffee ever reaches your cup.”

how would you describe the tasting notes of your espresso?

“Espresso should be approachable to a wide range of people.

With our Reaper blend, which we use for espresso, I aim for notes of chocolate and toffee with a full-bodied profile: nothing too bright or overly acidic, because most people are adding milk or flavored syrups to it.

If you roast espresso too light or acidic, it can react strangely with milk and even curdle it sometimes.”

how do you differentiate yourself in portland’s crowded market?

“It’s tough to stand out in a city like Portland. I always say if you can survive and break even here, you’ll likely kill it anywhere else. People in Portland have a lot of options, and they’ll let you know what they think. Good isn’t enough here, and honestly, great is average.

So for us, standing out has to go beyond the coffee. Yes, we bring in great coffees, but where we really shine is how we interact with people. We meet customers where they are and don’t bring the attitude that’s sometimes associated with specialty coffee.

If someone thinks a flavor crystal-laden coffee is the best thing ever and they’re ‘settling’ for our drip coffee, that’s okay—we’re still here for them. That’s where we’re unique.”

how did you get your start in coffee?

“My start actually came long before coffee.

Growing up, my mom and I used to do craft bazaars during the holidays. She’d sell handmade doilies, and I’d make little crafty things like candy cane mice or embossed greeting cards. Looking back, that’s probably where I first caught the bug for creating something of my own.

From there, I just kept chasing different ideas—selling Christmas sweaters, fixing cars, playing music, and eventually coffee. The drive has always been about building something bigger than myself and creating connection through community. That’s really the essence of Autumn.

I originally fell in love with the romantic idea of opening a café someday, so I jumped into roasting coffee. I started at a community roasting space, took classes, and honestly haven’t missed a week of roasting since. It’s been about nine years now.

Those first batches were sold at farmers markets we still serve today, and Autumn slowly grew from there into multiple locations, a coffee truck, and everything else coffee-related.”

what’s one thing you didn’t expect about owning a coffee business?

“That one’s loaded, but honestly, the answer is simple: I didn’t realize how engaged you have to be as an owner and operator.

We’re not selling some trendy new product with massive profit margins. We sell quite possibly one of the oldest ritual beverages on the planet. It’s publicly traded, and there are cafés on every corner.

To survive in this industry and defy the odds of failure, you have to stay involved and truly present in the business every day. That’s really it.”

what kind of relationships are you trying to build with your customers?

“This is ultimately what I feel really sets us apart: customer relationships.

Not customer service in the corporate sense, but genuine meaningful connection with the people who support us. When someone chooses to come see you regularly for a drink they could technically get anywhere, or even make at home, it’s because you’ve become familiar, welcoming, safe, maybe even a breath of fresh air from whatever they have going on.

At the end of the day, people and connection are what keep us moving. Coffee is just the catalyst.”

what’s one coffee myth you wish would disappear?

“Gosh there are so many.  Where do I start? Here’s a fun one: espresso doesn’t necessarily have more caffeine than other coffee drinks. In many cases, it actually has less.

Caffeine extraction depends heavily on how long the water is in contact with the grounds. Espresso shots usually pull in about 20–40 seconds, while drip coffee, pour overs, and French press brew for several minutes.

So drip coffee is often stronger from a caffeine standpoint. Of course, dosage and serving size matter too, but people are usually surprised when they learn that!”

final thoughts

I’m incredibly grateful to Andrew for taking the time to share his knowledge and perspective with me. Over the past few months, I’ve learned so much about coffee, roasting, sourcing, and the importance of hospitality within cafe culture.

More than anything, what stood out to me about Autumn was the intentionality behind the guest experience. Andrew and his team genuinely prioritize creating a welcoming, community-oriented space, and I think that’s a huge part of what makes Autumn feel so special.

It has quickly become one of my favorite roasters in Portland, and I truly can’t recommend stopping by enough for your daily latte.

More roaster features coming soon ☕

Thanks for reading 🙂